1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a retainer that attaches to a water meter can lid and is designed for holding and storing a water meter wrench within the water meter can where it will be readily available to operate the water meter cut off valve in the event that a water leak makes it necessary to quickly cut off flow of water through the water meter. The retainer can also be used as a handle for removing the water meter can lid from the water meter can.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently water meters are not supplied with a tool for operating the water meter cut off valve contained within a water meter can. In an emergency situation such as when a water leak occurs within a home, the home owner must first find a water meter lid key to remove the lid from the water meter can and then locate a suitable wrench for operating the water meter cut off valve located within the water meter can before the valve can be turned to stop the flow of water. Often it takes some time to locate suitable tools for removing the water meter can lid and for turning the water meter cut off valve. During the time the homeowner is searching for the necessary tools, the water continues to flow into the house resulting in unnecessary water damage within the home.
The present invention addresses this need with a water meter wrench retainer. The retainer serves as a means of removing the water meter can lid from the water meter can without the need for a water meter lid key and serves to store a water meter wrench within the water meter can so that the wrench is immediately available at the water meter to operate the meter's water cut off valve.
The retainer has a water meter wrench that is attached centrally to a handle via a flexible chain or cable. The retainer removably secures to the water meter can lid through an opening provided in the lid. When in use, the handle is held on the top of the lid and parallel with the top, the attached flexible chain or cable extends through the opening in the lid, and the attached wrench hangs downward within the water meter can.
The retainer can be used as a handle to remove the lid from the water meter can simply by lifting upward on the handle. Because the wrench is larger than the opening in the lid, when the wrench engages the bottom of the lid, additional upward force on the handle with raise the lid off of the water meter can so that the lid can be removed from the can.
Once the lid has been removed from the can, the retainer is then removed from the lid. The handle of the retainer is an elongated bar that is preferably flattened on one end. In order to remove the retainer from the lid, the handle is first oriented parallel with the flexible chain or cable and then it can be slipped through the opening in the lid to disengage the retainer from the lid. Once the retainer is disengaged from the lid, the flattened end of the wrench can be used to scrape mud or dirt from the valve if necessary, and then the attached wrench is available to operate the water meter valve.
The retainer allows the user to quickly remove the lid from the water meter can, disengage the retainer from the lid, and use the attached wrench to turn off the water valve. Having a wrench readily available at the location where it is needed in an emergency saves valuable time and lessens the amount of water that flows into the house and causes damage.
When the retainer is in use holding the wrench, only the small, elongated bar of the retainer is located above the lid and gravity and weight of the wrench pulling downward on the bar causes the bar to lay flat against the top of the can lid so that it does not create a tripping hazard and does not interfere with lawn mowers and other types of equipment that may run over the water meter can lid.